Summary
Summary Hamlet - characterisation
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Notes on all of the characters within Hamlet except the attendants/similar people who do not have a characterisation
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CharacterisationHamlet
- Introspective deep thinker
- Never reveals his true thoughts about the task he has been given
- Language full of riddles and double meanings
- Not a man of action
- Obsessed with questions that can’t be answered – constantly doubts and challenges the world around
him
Thoughtful nature plays a role in delaying his revenge
- He’s a very moral character – has clear sense of right and wrong
Believes other people share his moral view – Claudius and Gertrude’s actions shatter his moral
faith
- He doesn’t care about materialistic things – more concerned with issues of morality
- Ghost’s revelations – make him question the morality of the world
Righteousness and justice removed
- Spends play trying to overcome his doubts and regain faith is goodness
- Reluctant to seek out revenge – moral and spiritual issues
- Can only justify murdering Claudius by deciding that mankind has no control over their destiny
- Hamlet delays in his revenge on Claudius
Possible reasons:
- Introspective nature means he must think everything through before acting
- Christian morals clash with duty as revenger
Christian view is that only god has the right to take revenge
- Uncertainty over the ghost’s revelations and whether or not they can be trusted
- Argued that hamlet’s task is a patriotic duty – must save his country from Fortinbras’ invasion and
internal corruption
Avoids anything that might make Denmark look vulnerable
- Written at a time of political, social and religious uncertainty – hamlet could be echoing those
widespread feelings of insecurity
Play is full of contradictions, inconsistencies and uncertainties
- Freud argues that hamlet has an Oedipus complex – Claudius has done what hamlet wanted to do
Kill his father and slept with Gertrude – can’t kill Claudius as it would be killing himself
o Revenge would be like suicide – explains hamlet’s confusion about the two issues
- Questions over hamlet’s madness – critics believe that hamlet was only pretending to be mad
Feings madness to convince Claudius that he's not a threat
Only appears insane in front of people he suspects will report back to Claudius
- Shakespeare tends to use genuine madness for dramatic value
- Some critics believe that he was genuinely insane/goes insane because of the strain of feigning
madness
Original sources – clearly state that hamlet’s character only feigns madness
o Doubt deliberately used – hamlet’s reasoned thought is undermined by acts of
impulsiveness
- Hamlet shows symptoms of a disturbed mind
Constantly loses train of thought and doesn’t reach any conclusions
Has sleepness nights filled with nightmares
Obsessed with secrecy
Believes a ghost has driven him to murder
Distances himself from the people he loves
- Hamlet’s mental state made ambiguous
- Hamlet’s use of humour suggests he's sane – stays sane by finding dark humour in his situation
Never misses an opportunity to mock the other character
, Humour is always appropriate to the situation
- Has a complicated relationship with women
Believes his mother’s marriage to ahis uncle is a sign of her immorality
Despairs with his mother’s actions – transfers his feelings towards Gertrude to all women
o Calls them frail and morally weak because of what he sees as their promiscuity
- Love for Ophelia seems genuine but he acts strangely in front of her – suggests he's using her to
maintain his mask of madness
Claudius
- Main antagonist of the play
- Killed his brother
- One of main causes for hamlet’s anger, confusion and apparent madness
- Morally weak and will do anything to seize and hang onto power
- Not unfeeling
Genuinely sorry for the death of Polonius
Seems to love Gertrude
Treats Ophelia with kindness – uses her as part of his plans to deceive hamlet
- Selfishness defines him – only interested in maintaining power
- Increasing paranoia makes him even more concerned with his own position
- Ambition always comes before those he cares about
Unconcerned that Gertrude might have been in danger when hamlet killed Polonius
Could stop Gertrude from drinking the poison – doesn’t because it will implicate him in the plot
- An immoral character – seizes Danish throne when natural heir is absent
Plot would have seemed Machiavellian to an English audience used to a hereditary audience
o Machiavelli – developed a new way of political thinking and argued that rulers were
justified in using immoral/unjust behaviour to keep control
- Holds traditional religious beliefs but ignores them in order to secure his position
By killing old hamlet he goes against the will of god – divine right
o King’s powers were given by god – kings were only answerable to god
Biblical comparisons highlight their seriousness of Claudius’ crime – compares himself to cain
- Love for Gertrude is sincere but his marriage to her is also selfish
Helps him claim the throne
Shows his disregard for religious law – would have been seen as immoral
- He's a clever and talented leader
- Inspires court and country and deals with potential conflict with Norway
- Afraid of rebellion
- Takes on role of chief mourner – Danish people unite behind him in their suffering
- Takes decisive action to resolve the situation in Norway – send two of his ambassadors
- Manipulates people with language – sly, cunning and underhand
Juxtaposition to old hamlet – great and brave warrior
Rise to power was devious and cowardly – killed his brother
- Poison he pours in old hamlet’s ear – symbolises his ability to wound using poisonous words and lies
- Frequently varies his use of language to enhance his power
Addresses court in second person
Switches between using royal pronoun and addressing the crowd personally to get them on side
Uses his language to suppress people
When he talks to hamlet he uses complimentary language
o Makes hamlet’s objections of him seem petty – public only sees Claudius’ apparent love
for his nephew
- His cunning and deviousness are his own downfall – ultimately too clever for his own good
Poisoned goblet which kills him
- Claudius’ plot backfires horribly – becomes a victim of his own cunning and cowardice
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